Granddaddy

The kids and I got to take some time yesterday to visit with Granddaddy and Grandma.  These are my Dad's parents.  I spent a lot of time with them during my growing up years because they were not only by Dad's mom and dad but they were also my best friend's (and aunt's) mom and dad.  They have a child who is 61 (my dad) and a child who is 34 (Amy) and 3 more in between.

Amy and I grew up more like sisters or close cousins then aunt and niece.

I am so fortunate to have all of my grandparents still alive.  What a blessing.

Grandaddy is getting so frail and I don't know how much longer he'll be here so it was nice to get to visit with him.  It was also sad.  He did know who I was yesterday....but he doesn't always. 

He really was alert this time too.  He seemed so happy to see all the kids.

It just hurts to see him go from so robust and full of life to so frail.  I know it is just part of living in a fallen world but boy....it hurts to see someone you love slipping away.

I must enjoy the precious people God has put in my life while they are here.....even if they have a long life (87 years) it is still but a season!

Thankful for the promise of heaven to those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ!

WARNING....PART 2

Okay....Here it is.....

Plans for my little people.....or lack thereof!

The TWINKIES start Kindergarten this year!  I am just astonished....it does not seem they are possibly old enough....but they are.

So....here is my dilemma....TWINKIE GIRL is ready for kindergarten....in fact she is more then ready.  My girl has her ducks in a row....and was born ready for school.  HOWEVER TWINKIE BOY....bless his precious heart....is not so ready :(.  He has apraxia (same speech disorder as THE GIRL....only his is MUCH more severe) and also shows almost every sign of dyslexia (at least I own the curriculum already!)
AND
We can't forget our little dumplin' THE BABY she is only 13 months younger and seems pretty much ready to roll.  She definitely can hang with the TWINKS....so....
1. Do I start them all?
2.  Do I wait for them all?
3.  Do I start TWINKIE GIRL and wait and start TWINKIE BOY and THE BABY together next year????

I am VERY interested in any feedback.....

This is what I am thinking....I will start them all together...and just see what happens.  I mean classroom teachers have a class of kids and they are just at different levels....so I can pace the material differently if the need arises???  I would LOVE for the 3 little ones to all do school together all the way through.  They may end up doing different level math and reading....but it would be so nice to be able to teach them all together as much as possible.....but like I said...I would really love any feedback.

ANYWAY....

They too will participate in co-op this year.  I feel certain that will include a science class and an art class.  I know one of our moms is an occupational therapist and has mentioned that she would be willing to work with the younger kids (TWINKIE BOY) that need fine motor therapy!  So I am hoping and praying that would work out!  However I don't know exactly what they will offer for the P/K class at co-op yet....so we shall see.

AT HOME THEY WILL HAVE

Bible-
We will continue to do Awanas and work on memory verses and read a Bible story from their children's Bible.

Reading/Spelling
For TWINKIE BOY we will definitely begin with The Barton Reading and Spelling system his sister is using.
For TWINKIE GIRL and THE BABY I'm not sure....probably Saxon Phonics.

Speech
TWINKIE BOY will continue with his 2x per week speech tutoring and daily homework.

Writing
We will all do Penmanship together and I will probably use Handwriting Without Tears Manuscript Writing for all 3 because I think it is the best option for TWINKIE BOY.

Math
We will use Horizons K for all 3

Storytime
The House at Pooh Corner
The Story of Dr. Doo Little
The Story about Ping
The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose
The Llama Who Had No Pajama
Richard Scarry's Please and Thank You Book
Johnny Appleseed
My Father's Dragon
Dolphin Adventure
The Light at Tern Rock
The Apple and The Arrow
A Grain of Rice
The Hundred Dresses
Twenty and Ten
The Boxcar Children
In Grandma's Attic
Five True Dog Stories
Family Under the Bridge
James Harriot's Treasury for Children
Mary on Horseback

Geography/History
They will participate in the same geography program as THE BOY and THE GIRL.
see yesterday's post for more info and link.

PE
Just good ole outside fun.
I do want to make an effort to play some group games outside this year too.
The Twinkie Boy will probably play basketball in the winter.
The Twinkie Girl and The Baby have spent the year BEGGING to take dance....we shall see if finances and time allow.  I am really praying and proceeding with caution for all our extra curricular activities this coming school year.  I do not want to over commit as I am getting adjusted to having all the kids in school.

The rest of their boxes will be filled with board games or crafts or activities and most likely a daily movie and things they can do by themselves so that I am able to work with the other kids.

That about covers it....
Love feedback on my schooling dilemma!
Next thing to plan.....THE SCHEDULE....now that I know WHAT everyone is doing...I've got to find out HOW we are going to get it all done!
I love to plan!!!!

Night,
Kim

WARNING....

WARNING
This is long and probably extraordinarily boring to the average person....so proceed with caution!


This is one of my most favorite times of the year....because I get to plan and figure out what we are going to do next year.....So I am EXCITED!!!!

This is what I've decided so far:

THE BOY:
Will Continue to do:
Spanish, Writing, Science, and Art at Co-op....so we will use whatever curriculum they decided on...I'm pretty sure that will include: continuing on with his Spanish Now text, Doing the next level of Institute for Excellence in Writing: US History Based Writing Themes, Apologia Science (I've heard rumors of Physical Science....but I'm not sure)....and then Art.

AT HOME
He will do

Bible-
He is going to be becoming more independent in his Bible Time:
I'm thinking seriously about using the Sonlight Curriculum for his Bible which will include; Bible reading, Scripture memorization, and studying the following books:
Bible Study Sampler by John and Sarita Holzmann
God's Will, God's Best for Your Life by Josh McDowell
Why Pray from Word's to Relationship by John DeVries
Evidence for Jesus by Ralph O. Muncaster
The Bible Jesus Read by Philip Yancy

Math
Teaching Textbooks Algebra

Literature-
We will use Sonlights book list for Core 100 which corresponds with his history study in that it is American Literature.
Bonanza Girl
Elijah of Buxton
My Heart Lies South
They Loved to Laugh
Guests
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Keeping Score
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Rules of the Road
Ender's Game
Amos Fortune, Free Man
Peace Child
Round for Oregon
Call of the Wild
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Indian Captive
Maniac Mcgee
Out of the Dust
Rip Van Winkle
Stink Ally
To Kill a Mockingbird
A Treasury of Poetry for Young People
Year Down Yonder

US History-
This year The Boy will at last get to do US History (he's spent the last 4 years doing NC History and Ancient World History, Medieval World History, and Modern World History....he is ready for US HISTORY and very excited! 
Our History program will be based on Joy Hakim's award winning History of US series.  I'm really looking forward to this!

Music-
Continue Guitar Lessons and practice times.

PE
Swimming daily in the Summer
Basketball 3 times a week from October-March
Free Play the rest of the year

Geography
We are going to do a family Unit Study this year called Road Trip Across the US so Andrew will participate in this.  You can find out more at http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/

Keyboarding
He will continue to work on his typing speed and precision with Mavis Beacon Typing Program.

So that leaves Spelling and Grammar which are yet to be determined.....they are also his weakest areas.....so still praying and researching options for this!
For Extracurricular in addition to guitar and youth group we will most likely continue with basketball.  The big question in his mind is Can he do Odyssey of the Mind and/or Boy Scouts.....I just don't know is the answer.....we have a lot of life up in the air right now and I just don't know how much extra curricular we can commit to in the upcoming year.  This is another area of prayer.

THE GIRL
She will also continue at co-op but I am not as certain about which courses will be offered for her grade level.  I am fairly certain she will have Science (and I think it is going to be Apologia Astronomy....but not at all sure) and I think she will have Art.  Other then that I have no idea what she will be doing at co-op next year.....

AT HOME she will have

Bible
Not sure what we will do aside from Awana scripture memory.
I am hoping to do a Bible Study with her and 2 of the other moms in our co-op called
The Secret Keeper which is about the importance of modesty
and
The Secret Keeper Friendship which is 8 great dates for moms and their daughters.  This one focuses on true friendship and how to be a true friend in all your relationships.  I am really looking forward to this special time with my girl (but this will probably be night/weekend time and not school time....so we may do something else during school and we may not)

Math
We will do Horizons 2 (even though she will be going into 3rd grade).  She is a Math whiz but her dyslexia has caused a lot of issues with reading the word problems and with reversing numbers so we are having to slow down and work on "reading math" too....never a dull moment!

Storytime
I will read to her from Sonlights read aloud list

Cornstalks: A Bushel of Poems
The Twenty-One Balloons
The Door in the Wall
A Poke in the I
Strawberry Girl
Ginger Pye
The Little Riders
The Apprentice
The Aesop for Children
Red Sails to Capri
White Stallion to Lipizza
And the Word Came with Power
The Cricket in Time Square
Castle Diary
Tales of Robin Hood
The School Story
The Minstrel in the Tower


Penmanship
Want to start cursive but unsure of which program I will use.  Probably Handwriting without tears.  They are known to be a very effective program for children with dyslexia who commonly have letter reversal issues.

Reading and Spelling
She will continue with her Barton Reading and Spelling Tutoring System.  I hope she can do level 3 this summer and levels 4-6 next school year.  However....we will take it one day at a time and we will get there when we get there.  I am not going to rush her or pressure her.  I care more that she understands it and learns the material properly then that we check it off as done.....so that is the goal....but it may not be what happens.

Geography
http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/03/road-trip-usa-geography-and-history.html
We will be using the above curriculum written by a fellow homeschool mom called Road Trip Across the USA.  She describes it this way:

"Come along with us on an exciting journey learning about the U.S.A! From the signing of the Declaration of Independence, to the wild west, you’ll uncover all the secrets this Nation has to offer! Within this curriculum you’ll discover the sights and sounds of all 50 states, including state symbols, U.S. Presidents, famous people, landmarks, historical events, and much more!"

I am very excited about using this curriculum and I think by the end of year you will all see why.  It is chocked full of regional recipes, craft ideas, information......very hands on!  It will work well for big kids and little kids so it is something we can all learn from and work on together!

Home Economics
One thing I am kind of old fashioned about is teaching my girls Home Ec.  Yes I make THE BOYS do chores.  Yes they also have "LIFE SKILLS" courses and assignments from time to time.  HOWEVER.....let's face it often the girls are the ones most often charged with caring for the home.  I want my girls to be prepared and I also want them to relish their very important role.  So....I will move THE GIRL onto Book 2 Home Economics:  This year she will learn about:
Cooking
Nutrition, Baking, The purpose of sifting, grains, dry and wet ingredients, how bread rises, the stove, cooking with meat, cooking with cheese, making soups, making casseroles, beginning candy making.
Sewing
Items needed to sew, making a simple sewing kit, hand stitching, making a pin cushion, the sewing machine (I'm scared of this lesson), real sewing.
Cleaning/Organizing
Why it is important to clean, Cleaning your own room, What you can't find, The closet and under the bed, and organizing school stuff.
Hospitality
What is hospitality, Three is NOT a crowd, and Hosting a Party

PE
She will swim daily this summer for our pool's swimteam
We will definitely allow her to continue with basketball this winter
She REALLY wants to do gymnastics (she did 1 session this fall and REALLY enjoyed it however it got very expensive with all 3 girls doing it....even with the sibling discount.....so we will have to wait and see)

Reading
I really think Sophie should be finished with her level 3 tutoring by the time school starts next year which means she will be able to do some simple independent reading!!!!  So.....if she does finish and if she can....she will also have simple, level appropriate reading books to read each day.....but not sure waiting and praying!

Other Stuff
I think The Girl needs to start her foreign language study this year.  However due to her extreme language difficulty the thought of foreign language study has seemed daunting.  A few months ago I was flipping through The Old Schoolhouse magazine subscription my mom got me for Christmas (BEST GIFT....LOVE IT) and realized that American Sign Language counts as a foreign language!!!!!  I CRIED!  What an answer to prayer!  So I am searching for resources or perhaps even a tutor to start her in her foreign language study and I believe she will thrive with this foreign language....ahhh...God is soooooo good.

Anyway....if you are still reading this....you are a trooper.
This has probably been exceedingly boring....I am such a nerd and ABSOLUTELY adore this stuff!  I will post on THE TWINKIES and THE BABY's school plans tomorrow.  My man wants me to come and watch a movie.....so I know you will all be waiting with baited breath ;)

Thanks for indulging me!
Kim

The Food Rodeo

So tonight we did something different.....

We loaded up all the kids and headed downtown...

Why?

Well to attend THE FOOD RODEO of course!

Randy is a bit of a food truck connoisseur....and when he heard that ALL the well known food trucks in Durham were going to be parked outside THE COOKERY he just had to go....

and we got to tag along too!

(Randy secretly longs to own a food truck and make donuts and park outside Duke and sell them to doctors and nurses and visitors.....shhhh!)

IT WAS PACKED!

We were not the only ones who planned to attend!

It was a fun night....we got to try yummy food, Randy made some good business contacts (for his real job....not his "dream" job) , and we got to spend time together!

The kids favorite part.....was the pizza of course!

Looking forward to the weekend!!!!
Kim

Life is NOT always Parties and Polka Dots!

In an effort to keep my blog from becoming a highlight reel....I thought I would include a few pictures of the not so great moments as of late.....JUST trying to keep it real!

This little photo makes me laugh.  Randy got very mad at me for taking it (but he is okay with me using it now...because enough time has passed and my neighbor, Michelle, has been eager for me to blog about it :)).  As I snapped the photo he assured me this was nothing to blog about :)

GUESS what happened?  He was being his usual fun Daddy self and wrestling the kids (right before bed :/) and decided to do one of his super cool, jump from the air bounce on the bed moves, to send 5 kids flying in the air.....off THE GIRLS bed.....um....we will just say that didn't end so well :)

My man worked very hard to fix it and was on the right track....but didn't have the exact tools he needed so in his wisdom he called my parents "old neighbor" Dr. Burch (the same one that built my parents table) and HE FIXED IT...in 1 day for free!

THANK YOU DR. BURCH!!!

The next one is a little more recent....from like today....

Our sweet dog Mindy was at her Dog Open House yesterday

check out Golden Creek Kennels if you are interested (they are the BEST)

AND

so Randy being the sweetheart he is gave her a bath when she got home....she was DIRTY from all the fun she had swimming.

I was so grateful....she looked so nice and smelled so good.

In case you have never met Mindy...she is a white colored golden. 

She is BEAUTIFUL!

ANYWAY

so today the kids and I took her out to play....and she proceeded to chase our neighbors dog, Tinkerbelle, which they do most days and they both LOVE. She had all sorts of fun and then she decided to swim in a muddy ditch we have in our back yard....

OOPS Sorry Randy!  I guess I will be bathing her tomorrow!

So don't worry....life around here is definitley broken and dirty....I just tend to not pull out the camera as often for those moments!

Hope your Monday has not been quite as messy as mine!
Love-
Kim

Party!

So we celebrated THE BABY'S birthday on Saturday.

We had a family party. (plus our next door neighbors...who my kids think are family)

It was VERY simple.....and she LOVED it!

THE BABY LOVES her cousin Trisha Lynn!

THE GIRL LOVES her baby cousin Julia and her Aunt Holly!

We are blessed to have so many cousins!

She decided on a Minnie Mouse Party. 

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!

The Baby of the Whole Family!

My Baby Turns 4 today!  I can't even believe she is 4 years old!  She is so excited that today is her birthday but she is VERY quick to remind us all that even though she is 4 she is still "the baby of our whole family".  She relishes her role as "Baby".....and so do I :)

EVERYBODY knows our story about THE TWINKIES.....but very few people know the details  surrounding THE BABY'S birthday.  I don't know why I'm not as open about it or why I've held it so close.  I don't even remember ALL the details....but I will share the story of God's provision as I best remember, and I do believe it is part of God's mercy upon me that I don't remember it all.

As a little prelude to the story....we did not plan on having THE BABY.  At least not so soon.  She was a SURPRISE.  The best surprise of my life, for sure....but also the biggest!

I remember I was scheduled for nursery....so it was a Sunday, and I was seeing "floating spots".  With my pregnancy history I knew that meant call the doctor....NOW.  I thought about waiting because I didn't feel bad....but I decided to go ahead and call.  The doctor on call was a doctor that was not with the practice I was seeing but with a neighboring practice that shared call duties with my doctors office.  He wanted us to meet him at the hospital. 

So.....we went.  I don't remember who got the kids, I'm assuming my parents, and I don't remember what ended up being wrong....I think I ended up being eclamptic????  It is all sort of a blur.....I do remember they had to do all sorts of test and they admitted me and I ended up having some sort of mild infection (maybe strep throat....although I didn't feel bad).....I remember waiting and waiting for lab results.  The testing finally came back at 8:00 pm about 2 days after I was admitted (they were running continuous tests).  They REALLY didn't want me to have THE BABY because she was REALLY early (6 weeks early)

I remember thinking everything would be fine.  I wasn't very worried.  THE BOY was 3 weeks early, THE GIRL was 4 weeks early, THE TWINKIES were 5 weeks early, so Audrey being 6 weeks early just seemed par for the course.  I found out later a single baby 6 weeks early is very different then twins that are 5 weeks early.  They took me for the C-section prep. and I remember all the sudden becoming VERY afraid and VERY nervous.  I remember praying and even as I began to pray becoming distracted with worry....I remember the doctor confirming I was a Group B strep carrier.  I remember the doctors being very quiet.  I remember they whisked THE BABY from the room immediately after she was born.  I don't remember her crying.  It was another silent delivery.  I remember being VERY afraid.  I remember asking over and over and over to see my baby.  I remember wanting to hold her.  I remember wondering why they wouldn't bring her to me.....and why they wouldn't answer my questions....I think they must have given me something....because then I don't remember anything else....until like 2:00 the next morning.  I remember them waking me up and something about spinal tap on the baby, very sick, high fever, not responding to antibiotics, concern about meningitis, yes it would cause a great deal of pain for her, and to please sign this paper.  I remembered that I had just had my tubes tied (I know TMI) and I remember thinking if she dies I won't be able to have any more babies.  I remember thinking,  "I don't FEEL like God's grace is sufficient for this....but I do KNOW that it is".....and then I don't remember anything else....except I was sleeping AGAIN.......God's allowing this to happen in the middle of the night and the mercy of sleep was a blessing!

I really don't remember much else.   I don't know why.  I am a ponderer.  I remember EVERYTHING (ask Randy)!  I can't believe I don't remember....but I don't.

I do remember I still hadn't held my baby. 

I remember about 3 days later they FINALLY let me come to the intensive care nursery.  I hadn't even seen her except as they swept her from the room.  I remember the pediatric doctor saying the doctor who performed the C-section had forgotten to treat my Group B Strep and that was most likely the cause of THE BABY'S infection.  I remember feeling extreme compassion for him.  He had been through a recent tragedy in his own personal life.  Again this was God's mercy.  I tend to forgive easily.....except if you hurt my kids...then watch out!  However I felt no anger only sadness for the doctor and the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Then I saw her.  She was so tiny and hooked up to all sorts of tubes.  She was beautiful and she stole my heart that very minute.  Then a sweet nurse asked me if I wanted to hold her and I was speechless (I know hard to believe).  I sat down and held my baby and wept.  She was so little.  She was so sick.  She  was so perfect.

The second hardest thing I ever did was leave the hospital without my baby (the hardest was leaving without Matthew).  They let me stay just shy of 5 days after she was born....but then I had to leave.  It is not easy to leave the hospital without your child.  Not easy at all.  My insurance would not cover any longer stay for me.  I had 4 children at home anxious to see me.  Audrey had to stay for 10 more days.  She was on a course of antibiotics.  She was going to be okay.  We spent the next 10 days back and forth.  We had grandparents who helped feed THE BABY and watched the other babies so that we could feed the baby....it was an exhausting and busy time for our entire family.

She celebrated her first Easter at the hospital :(

We made a little sign for her baby bed.  I'm sure she appreciated it!

One of the happiest days in my life came 10 days after I left her in that hospital room.  14 days after she was born.  I got to bring AUDREY FAITH home. 

And the rest is history!
God IS sufficient....even when I THINK he isn't.
As I said at the beginning....We did not Plan on Audrey....we wanted her....but didn't plan on her....BUT GUESS WHAT....God DID PLAN on Audrey....and Audrey was right on time for his plan.  I am so glad his plan is not always my plan.

AUDREY FAITH has been the blessing of a lifetime.  I adore her and am so happy to be celebrating her 4th birthday today....my how time flies!!!